Sunday, January 24, 2010

Boulevards, Fountains and the Tango

On the first night we were in BA we enjoyed a tango evening even though we had been awake for more than twenty hours by the time we fell on our beds. But the tango show was remarkable - lively, sexy and sensuous.

Who could resist yet another such evening on our third night in BA? More importantly this experience included a tango lesson. Well with much trepidation we were collected by the shuttle bus and taken into town. We were ushered into the dance studio and our minute dance instructor introduced herself to us. Totally bilingual [Spanish and English] she proceeded to persuade the most reluctant of us onto the floor and even managed to teach us the eight basic tango steps. More importantly she even made us believe that we COULD tango. Starting with a simple walk and being harangued into stepping as though we were tango dancers, she had us moving around the studio like professionals. Such is the power of a sweet-talking confident young dancer.

After we received our first tango dance lesson certificates, we were then shown to the small theatre where we were served a most acceptable three course meal and as much to drink as we could manage. Two of the dancers walked around posing with the guests and both David and I were more than delighted to pose with our respective 'partners'. David looks just like a professional mafioso in his dark fedora and I look a little silly with a red feather boa and my leg dangling around the young man's knees. Well, when a tango dancer says to one ' up leg' in a low and sultry voice, that's what you do!

After dinner the lights dimmed and 'our' dancers opened the show with a very flashy, leg-flicking, low-slung tango. What a start to the show. The dancers move with extreme elegance and fire and sadly we realised that to get to their level of brilliance we would either have to practice daily for the next thirty years or simply give up.

Once again we were taken home and certainly I dreamed of young tango dancers and brilliant long strides across the dance floor. I certainly know exactly which my first evening will be spent the next time we arrive in Buenos Aires.


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